Timber Tales - Connecticut State Sawmill
TEMJ 20242 - Portland Sawmill, Sustainable Renewable Resources, CT DEEP, Camp Buck, State Park Infrastructure, Wood products, State forests, Net-Zero Energy, Passsive Solar, Trombe Wall, Pozzolans
Greetings Fellow Earthmonks,
This entry of the Earthmonk journal will be a real treat for my Connecticut based subscribers. If you live or have lived or visited CT, you may have asked yourself, “Where do all the State Park shields come from?”. You know, all those brown state park signs, that hang from a brown signpost on a brown crossarm. If you have visited a CT State Park, you know what I’m talking about. The stained brown signage, in the shape of a shield, engraved with the image of the charter oak tree and painted with yellow lettering. The sign which lets you know that you have arrived at the destination that you just drove over hour to get to. The answer, they are all made at the Portland Sawmill.
The Portland Sawmill, is located within the Portland Complex in Portland, CT. It is part of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It is a fully functional and operating state run sawmill.
I had a chance to visit the sawmill and take a tour of the sawmill given by the head sawyer Jim Moore. In addition, I also spoke with two of the sawmill operators and one of the state foresters who were also at the facility that day.
The History & Tradition
The sawmill with the Portland Complex, under the stewardship of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has been a vital source of wood products for the state park system for an extended period of time. These resources, comprising 100% locally grown and harvested wood, contribute significantly to the state's commitment to sustainability.
Established on June 4, 1935, as Camp Buck, a Civilian Conservation Corp Camp for young men, the Portland Sawmill has tirelessly operated for the state's benefit since its inception. Sourcing an abundance of sustainable and renewable wood from the Meshomasic State Forest and other state forests, the sawmill plays a pivotal role in constructing park infrastructure using cost-effective building materials.
For close to a century, the state's forests have consistently provided high-quality lumber. This lumber is instrumental in constructing boardwalks, buildings, bridges, pavilions, picnic tables, and signs across state parks, forests, and watersheds. Beyond serving the park system, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and various state agencies also reap the benefits of lumber supplied by the DEEP Portland Sawmill.
Even today, the Portland Sawmill remains a reliable source of wood products, drawing from sustainable and renewable log resources in areas like the Salmon River State Forest, The Cockaponset State Forest, and numerous other state forests throughout the state.
Portland Sawmill Products
Here is a short list, by no means all inclusive, of wood products created from wood at the Portland Sawmill:
Picnic Tables, Snow Stakes, Rough Sawn pine/oak lumber of different dimensions, Finished lumber, 4x4 posts, 6x6 posts, Parking barriers 14”(W) X 3”(D) X 12’(L), Informational Kiosk used for large framing projects, bridge building materials, State Park shield signs, Shield signposts and cross arms, Ladder signs, Trail signs, Trailer Decking, Sideboards, Pine Shavings, Gates, Tree cookie Medallions, Hiking Sticks, Nesting boxes/platforms, Tongue and groove, Shiplap siding, Slab-wood and Campground firewood.
Here are a few video clips of Sawyer Jim Moore processing a large log.
Here is a video clip of a large plank Jim cut being processed in the planner.
DEEP’s Western District HQ
Another project that the Portland Sawmill is currently involved in is providing all the finished, dimensional and rough cut lumber for the new DEEP Western District Headquarters. The new HQs will be located at Black Rock State Park in Watertown, Connecticut. The new HQ exemplifies sustainable design with a $14.2 million budget and a footprint of 14,508 square feet. The new HQ is seeking net-zero energy, LEED Platinum certifications, and it will consolidate employees from nine buildings.
Here is a video and a few pictures of the actual tongue and groove finished lumber that will be used in the new Western District HQ.
The energy conservation strategy integrates 16 geothermal wells and a rooftop photovoltaic array, ensuring up to 80% energy efficiency. The Trombe wall, converting 70 to 80% of sunlight into heat, surpasses traditional PV panels in effectiveness. It will also include sustainable wood products, including tongue and groove and wainscoting, which will be supplied by the Portland Sawmill.
The architecture emphasizes the importance of concrete and wood for net-zero energy efficiency, advocating collaboration with the ready-mix industry and lumber from the state forests for sustainable solutions. The project's pragmatic approach offers valuable insights for future net-zero energy-efficient endeavors.
Trombe Wall
Central to the project is the Trombe wall thermal energy system, chosen after evaluating various Energy Use Intensity mitigation solutions. Composed of concrete, serving as both structure and finish, the Trombe wall reduces material use. Thinning it by over 40% and incorporating locally produced ground glass pozzolans further minimizes the carbon footprint.
A Trombe wall is a passive solar heating system that consists of a thick, high-mass wall located on the south side of a building, usually with a large glass surface. It captures and stores solar energy during the day, releasing it as radiant heat during the night, providing a sustainable and energy-efficient way to passively heat and cool a structure.
Pozzolans are materials, natural or artificial, that undergo a chemical reaction with lime and water to enhance the strength and durability of concrete by forming cementitious compounds like calcium silicate hydrate. Their sustainable benefits include reducing the environmental impact of concrete production by partially replacing cement, a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, while improving overall performance and durability.
Stay tuned for a more detailed journal post about the new Portland Sawmill. The new sawmill will be a showcase for CT DEEP’s vision of a sustainable, renewable resource.
The End of the Journey
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- The Earthmonk